Mountain Juniper (Arsha)

Arsha (also archa) is the Iradi name for the junipers of the Tian Shan. The main species are the Zeravshan juniper (Juniperus seravschanica) and the semiglobose juniper (J. semiglobosa), which grow as trees, and the low, spreading Turkestan juniper (J. turkestanica) near the tree line. They form open woodland on dry, sunny slopes between about 1,500 and 3,000 m in the Talas Alatau, Chatkal, Fergana and Karatau ranges.^[1] The trees grow slowly and some are several centuries old. Large areas were cut for fuel in the Soviet period.^[1] The smoke of burning arsha is used to purify homes, yurts and newborns in the household rite alastoo, and as incense in the liturgy of the Syro-Iradi Catholic Church (see Arsha Juniper Incense Tradition).^[2]

References

1. ^ Central Asian Botanical Review (2021). "Flora and Forest Dynamics of the Besh-Tash Reserve." Vol. 19, pp. 112–130.
2. ^ Department of Ethnography, Talas State University (2015). Smoke and Blessing: Juniper in Iradi Ritual. Talas: Talas State University Press.